Responding to "Dangerous Driving" calls

Sully

I was wondering what the official (or unofficial) way of dealing with people who report dangerous driving to the Gardai is. I spotted two drivers driving dangerous in the last week and reported each one. Gave a description and each time supplied my details. I suggested a warning might be better then me going to court.

Anyway, in the first report the Gardai arrived after a while to the location of the parked car. Sat behind the car as the occupants were out and watched as the occupants avoided returning to the car when they spotted the Guards. Anyway, the guards drove away and the lads got back into their car and headed out the way the Guards went. Guards drove past but did nothing. I left the scene and headed back towards town and the car was about 3 cars in front. Squad car passed by again, but did nothing.

Second incident an elderly driver was driving on the wrong side of the road, slowly, for a considerable distance. Drove out in front of a car on a roundabout resulting in the other car breaking to avoid crashing. Drove on anyway making turns without indicating and driving slowly. Reported it, and the guards just said they would keep an eye out.

I always thought that in the day and age where people are being killed on the road due to dangerous driving that the Guards would be more then happy to attend such calls and speak with the driver about their driving behaviour? Does this only happen if the complaint comes in from someone willing to go to court?

Cheers.

source

Dangerous driving is very hard to prove, unless the garda is a witness to the driving, If a witness is willing to go to court and the gardai can catch the driver then a case can be made.

however if the witness doesn't want anything more to do with a situation after reporting, all gardai can do is keep an eye out for the car and hope to come across it while driving in a dangerous manner.

TheNog

In my district we will always try to attend but sometimes we just cannot. Our district is large and we could 15-20 miles away coming from and going to a call. We also must prioritise calls due to lack of resources.
If and when we do attend and speak with the offending driver there is little we can do except if the driving warrants an arrest. In these cases we just take names and bring to court if the reportee wishes it. Usually people are just not willing to go to court.
People have to remember that we need people to go to court for prosecution. We cannot do it all ourselves so to cut down on dangerous driving, it is everyone's responsibility.

Sully

I dont expect you to arrest them but can you not go out and say you got a report of dangerous driving, describe the driving reported etc?

If a guard pulled me over and said it to me, id be shocked and make sure to keep my driving proper. If nobody said anything to me, I might not realise what I was doing was considered dangerous!

Fyr.Fytr

Thats if there are enough cars on the road to do it, takes alot of time and effort to search for what can be a needle in a haystack while the calls back up behind them.

Having said that though I'm sure they do take it seriously and do what ever they can within their powers to find the person and take neccessary action, its just the world in which we live is far from ideal

Eru

Sully wrote: »

I dont expect you to arrest them but can you not go out and say you got a report of dangerous driving, describe the driving reported etc?

If a guard pulled me over and said it to me, id be shocked and make sure to keep my driving proper. If nobody said anything to me, I might not realise what I was doing was considered dangerous!

Maybe so and most people would be the same but you cannot investigate a complaint without the complainant making a statement or at least being willing to go to court. As soon as someone even appears reluctant to go to court I close my notebook because I have no witness.

Not too be cruel or unkind but if its not worth wasting your time in court why is it worth wasting ours?

keen

I don't think the guards take driving calls serious at all.

On two occasions I reported two seperate calls of drunk driving, when I say drunk the two drivers where smashed, driving in the centre of the road no lights on etc. I knew on for a fact that driver was over the limit, he was in the q in front of me in the chipper and stank of drink before leaving and getting into his car, similar situation the second time too, I called and gave the make, model colour, reg plate and a description of the driver also, said where the car was and explained that the car was traveling very slow so there would be a chance to catch him in the act, gave my details etc heard nothing either time.

Another time my Da rang after an Eircom van was seen speeding and driving dangerously, the guard told my Da "to get onto Eircom" :rolleyes:

source

keen wrote: »

gave my details etc heard nothing either time.

It might not have been necessary for the gardai to call you back, if these drivers were as bad as you say then the breath/blood/urine test would be enough to convict and no witnesses would be needed, just because you weren't informed of the outcome, doesn't mean nothing was done about it.

TheNog

Sully wrote: »

If a guard pulled me over and said it to me, id be shocked and make sure to keep my driving proper. If nobody said anything to me, I might not realise what I was doing was considered dangerous!

I used to give a warning to drivers who had been reported and tbh I reckon it did feck all. Sometimes a driver would apologise but usually they say "oh i wasn't driving dangerously". It is a complete waste of time doing it.

Not to say that you stop calling a station to report a bad driver.

Sully

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Thats if there are enough cars on the road to do it, takes alot of time and effort to search for what can be a needle in a haystack while the calls back up behind them.

Having said that though I'm sure they do take it seriously and do what ever they can within their powers to find the person and take neccessary action, its just the world in which we live is far from ideal

How hard is it to track a car down if you are behind the car and specifically give directions to the cars location, description and reg (which will point it to the owners house).

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Maybe so and most people would be the same but you cannot investigate a complaint without the complainant making a statement or at least being willing to go to court. As soon as someone even appears reluctant to go to court I close my notebook because I have no witness.

That kinda attitude certinaly wont fix the problems on Irish Roads! Dangerous driving you should at least look out or speak to the driver saying you got a report etc. If it affects one person you have made a difference. Plus, if the car is driven by a young lad and owned by his parents - a call to the parents wouldn't go astray.

Not too be cruel or unkind but if its not worth wasting your time in court why is it worth wasting ours?

Its not wasting my time. Id just hate to be in a court over a driving offence that might have only been a once of. Not to mention what people would say - iv never heard of anyone go up to court as a witness unless the driver affected them. If I was told he has a few convictions for poor driving then im supporting you all the way - another notch slaps him off. If on the other hand a caution was given to cop the **** on for a first timer I think its a better approach (aint cautions recorded and used if a conviction is ever required?)

TheNog wrote: »

I used to give a warning to drivers who had been reported and tbh I reckon it did feck all. Sometimes a driver would apologise but usually they say "oh i wasn't driving dangerously". It is a complete waste of time doing it.

Not to say that you stop calling a station to report a bad driver.

If you manage to affect the one driver, that's a difference!

TheNog

Sully wrote: »

How hard is it to track a car down if you are behind the car and specifically give directions to the cars location, description and reg (which will point it to the owners house).

we have access to the owners name and address. in some cases we would have their phone number too. In an ideal world we would stop the driver on the road but sometimes it is just not possible.

Sully wrote: »

That kinda attitude certinaly wont fix the problems on Irish Roads! Dangerous driving you should at least look out or speak to the driver saying you got a report etc.

Again in an ideal world every report of dangerous driving (would have to be more than one singe act) would be followed up with an investigation and court appearance. The guards cannot be expected to catch everyone but we need the public's help in doing it.

Sully wrote: »

Its not wasting my time. Id just hate to be in a court over a driving offence that might have only been a once of. Not to mention what people would say - iv never heard of anyone go up to court as a witness unless the driver affected them. If I was told he has a few convictions for poor driving then im supporting you all the way - another notch slaps him off. If on the other hand a caution was given to cop the **** on for a first timer I think its a better approach (aint cautions recorded and used if a conviction is ever required?)

We cannot give out that type of information as it is confidential. Just because you have never heard of a witness going to court where they haven't been directly affected does not mean it doesn't happen. I will have two drivers in court in the coming months for careless driving and all because people have reported it and made statements.

Again our dangerous roads are the way they are because people don't follow up on it. I'm talking about civilians and guards too but in my experience it is mostly people don't want the hassle.

Eru

Sully wrote: »

How hard is it to track a car down if you are behind the car and specifically give directions to the cars location, description and reg (which will point it to the owners house).

So driving equally fast and dangerously plus using a mobile phone????

Sully wrote: »

That kinda attitude certinaly wont fix the problems on Irish Roads! Dangerous driving you should at least look out or speak to the driver saying you got a report etc. If it affects one person you have made a difference. Plus, if the car is driven by a young lad and owned by his parents - a call to the parents wouldn't go astray.

A, Were not the mentality police nor are we the ones being reported so stop blaming us for bad drivers and deaths on the roads! That kind of attitude is why no one takes personal responsibility, its not the drunk or the speeder, its the polices fault for not stopping him!
B, We have a thing called confidentiality, if we speak to a person who has control of the car we cant then run to the parents anymore than we can run to your husband or wife.
C, and if they make a complaint about police harassment what then? I have no witness!!!!!

Sully wrote: »

Its not wasting my time. Id just hate to be in a court over a driving offence that might have only been a once of. Not to mention what people would say - iv never heard of anyone go up to court as a witness unless the driver affected them. If I was told he has a few convictions for poor driving then im supporting you all the way - another notch slaps him off. If on the other hand a caution was given to cop the **** on for a first timer I think its a better approach (aint cautions recorded and used if a conviction is ever required?)

A, Again, if you dont want to go to court or make a statement for something YOU saw and felt agrieved by why should I automatically believe you and caution the driver?
B, Should we tell the world about your convictions, tickets and warnings? Maybe a simple website, www.lookupmyneighbour.com?? Its confidential
C, How can a caution be a conviction when you were never brought to court? Think about it. Its a caution only, no guilt or innocence either accepted or proven.

Sully wrote: »

If you manage to affect the one driver, that's a difference!

Yes if I SEE it and can state for a fact they did it but not simple because a third party said so. However, shouldnt that apply to you going to court as well? Helping to better the world, sort out the streets and get criminals or them????

Fyr.Fytr

Well to put a good spin on this one.

Was driving tonight and pulled up at a set of lights behind an old clapped out car. Attention first drawn to it by faulty indicator, then my passenger started laughing as the driver was wearing a cowboy hat.

As he pull off he was on the phone, he takes off really slowly and i start getting a bit peed off telling him to get off the phone etc.

The best is yet to come as he makes the turn he mounts a traffic island forcing some pedestrians to move quickly out of the way.

He then stops in the middle of the road, passenger said exactly what i was thinking "Call the guards on this joker"

He had no phone and mine was in my jeans pocket so no chance of doing it yet, so followed at a bit of a distance.

He turns left still driving dangerously. Luckily he pulls into a car park so i pull up and keep him in view, reach into my pocket and ring the local station.

Give all the car details make, model, reg and colour, say i suspect he may be drunk etc

Give my details (name phone number etc)

Driver starts to pull off, bugger i thought cant be on the phone following him, so hand the phone to my passenger and get him to ring the station back. Phones busy

Luckily driver still driving slowly and he parks up, then drives again and so on.

Two guards come round the corner on foot and see him driving dodgy.

Straight over, i park up and walk over, driver talking the Garda Sergent.

He was then arrested for sec 49.

I walk over to the guard and ask if statements etc are necessary, he says no, the manner of driving and withing 2 seconds of talking to him he was clearly over the limit, on both drink and drugs.

So a set of silver bracelets, a trip to Santry and a night in the cells await.

Gannons were also contacted to recover the vehicle as it was unroadworthy and had no tax or insurance.

Result.

Eru

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Well to put a good spin on this one.

Was driving tonight and pulled up at a set of lights behind an old clapped out car. Attention first drawn to it by faulty indicator, then my passenger started laughing as the driver was wearing a cowboy hat.

As he pull off he was on the phone, he takes off really slowly and i start getting a bit peed off telling him to get off the phone etc.

The best is yet to come as he makes the turn he mounts a traffic island forcing some pedestrians to move quickly out of the way.

He then stops in the middle of the road, passenger said exactly what i was thinking "Call the guards on this joker"

He had no phone and mine was in my jeans pocket so no chance of doing it yet, so followed at a bit of a distance.

He turns left still driving dangerously. Luckily he pulls into a car park so i pull up and keep him in view, reach into my pocket and ring the local station.

Give all the car details make, model, reg and colour, say i suspect he may be drunk etc

Give my details (name phone number etc)

Driver starts to pull off, bugger i thought cant be on the phone following him, so hand the phone to my passenger and get him to ring the station back. Phones busy

Luckily driver still driving slowly and he parks up, then drives again and so on.

Two guards come round the corner on foot and see him driving dodgy.

Straight over, i park up and walk over, driver talking the Garda Sergent.

He was then arrested for sec 49.

I walk over to the guard and ask if statements etc are necessary, he says no, the manner of driving and withing 2 seconds of talking to him he was clearly over the limit, on both drink and drugs.

So a set of silver bracelets, a trip to Santry and a night in the cells await.

Gannons were also contacted to recover the vehicle as it was unroadworthy and had no tax or insurance.

Result.

Fyr,
You have an unhealthy knowledge of our proceedures!

Fyr.Fytr

I learn quickly from you lot.

Plus my best mates mam is a guard so end up talking to her about it alot lol.

Skipper was a top bloke, said statments wern't needed but thanked me alot for calling it in and said although hell be tied up for ages its half the work load of when that lad killed someone.